Luguentz Dort Named Thunder's 'Weakest Link' in Starting Lineup

Despite the typical cliche that comes with it, the phrase "A team is only as strong as its weakest link" does have truth behind it. 

Whether a squad is NBA Finals caliber or sitting at the top of the Draft Lottery, not just one player can do it all, and in the same way, not just one player can be blamed for a loss. No team is an exception, as even the NBA's top teams have so-called "weakest link."

So who is it on the Oklahoma City Thunder?

"There are varying degrees of star upside in four of the Oklahoma City Thunder's projected starters," Bleacher Report wrote in a league-wide analysis. "Few (if any) young foundations in the NBA are as well laid for longterm success as [Oklahoma City's], and while Luguentz Dort certainly could be a part of that future, he appears to have the most modest short and longterm prospects." 

In his four seasons with the Thunder, Dort's scoring average has ranged from 6.8 points to 17.2, with the former figure coming during his rookie season. Dort's offensive production did drop slightly this past season, as he went from the highest mark he'd had to 13.7 points and a slight decrease in field goal percentage, but having your weakest starter averaging that many points seems to be a problem that Oklahoma City can live with. 

The other reason for Bleacher Report's non-complementary rating of the fourth-year veteran was his nonconforming skillset, which normally would be a positive trait.

"Dort is probably too small to be a forward, but he's not enough of a creator to be a guard," Bleacher Report continued. "Career shooting marks of 45.4 percent on 2s and 33.2 percent on 3s through four seasons suggest a bleak future as a shooter." 

Harsh words for a player not even in his fifth NBA season, but the statistics do speak for themselves. Dort may not be the most efficient — or consistent — scorer, but to his credit, he is a talented defender. Oklahoma City is working towards becoming true contenders in the West, and it does have a strong group of young talent to rely on in that process, with Dort being a part of that. Sure, he has some work to do in terms of improvement, but that goes for every player. 

And if Dort truly is the Thunder's weakest starter — it can consider that a win.

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